In combustion chamber technology, as for example in gas turbine combustion chambers, the walls of high-temperature reactors have to be protected with suitable linings or shields, so that in particular load-bearing structures located behind them are protected against attack by hot gas. Ceramic materials are as a rule more suitable for the shield than metallic materials because they exhibit higher temperature and corrosion resistance as well as lower heat conductivity.
The ceramic linings, which are often also referred to as ceramic heat shields, are as a rule produced by a sintering process, in which the protecting properties of the ceramics are also fixed.
In addition, the ceramic heat shields have to meet high requirements with regard to their mechanical loading capacity, and increasing attempts are being made to achieve improvements by producing composite components, for example with fiber-reinforced components on the basis of CMC (ceramic matrix composites), or to attain particularly good mechanical properties with structural ceramic components or graduated components.